Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: My dad was probably my biggest musical influence growing up. He was always listening to rock in some form, everything from Talking Heads and grunge to Metallica and Slipknot, so I was exposed to a pretty wide range of music early on. As I got older, I naturally started finding my own bands and genres, but that foundation definitely stuck with me. I picked up a guitar when I was nine and taught myself how to play since lessons weren’t really something we could afford at the time. Nirvana and Green Day were huge for me back then and were probably some of the first bands that made me want to actually make music myself.
Q: Can you describe the musical style of Further Sky in three words?
A: Heavy, atmospheric, unpredictable. I don’t really want Further Sky to be tied to one specific genre. I tend to write based on whatever I’m feeling or listening to at the time, so one song might lean more shoegaze, another might pull from grunge or nu metal, and the next release could go somewhere completely different. I think that freedom is a big part of what I want Further Sky to be.
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A: Further Sky is still really new. I only started releasing music this spring, so I’m still building an audience and figuring things out as I go. One of the coolest parts so far has been seeing people find the music from places I never expected, like Germany, Indonesia, the UK, and obviously here in the U.S. Social media has been the main way I stay connected. I like sharing what I’m working on and little behind-the-scenes pieces of the process. It’s still kind of wild to me that someone on the other side of the world can stumble across something I made at home and connect with it.
Q: You have just released your new EP, ‘memory leak’. Is there a story behind it?
A: The title came from the computer term “memory leak,” where a program holds onto memory it doesn’t need anymore, and I liked that as a metaphor for having a brain that doesn’t always know how to let things go. Each song touches on that in a different way. “segfault//” deals with miscommunication, which is something I’ve always struggled with. Ironically, I work in marketing and communications for my day job. “tidal.wav” is probably the most directly tied to my experience with ADHD and that feeling of your brain constantly moving in ten different directions. Then “for_what?” came from my thoughts around AI, work, and watching technology change the future of careers like mine in real time. They’re three different subjects, but they all come back to that same feeling of having too many things running in your head at once and not really knowing how to shut any of them off.
Q: What is your favorite track from the EP and why?
A: Probably “for_what?” It came together easier than almost any song I’ve written, but I also think it’s one of the most relatable. Musically, it’s really just built around three chords, and I had a lot of fun keeping it simple and letting the song breathe. It has more of an indie feel than some of my other music, which I really like, and I could definitely see myself exploring that direction more in the future.
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance for Further Sky so far?
A: Further Sky hasn’t played live yet. Since it’s a solo project, I write and record every instrument myself, so translating that into a live setting would mean bringing other people in. I grew up playing in bands, though, and I still make music with one of my closest friends just for fun, so that side of music is definitely still part of my life. I’m also a huge concert person and go to shows all the time. Right now, I’m enjoying making music without the pressure of having to perform, but if Further Sky keeps growing, I’d absolutely be open to getting some friends involved and bringing it to a stage.
Q: Can you walk us through the creative process of producing the EP, “memory leak”?
A: I made it pretty much the same way I made my first EP, Between Signals. Usually I start by messing around on guitar and recording a bunch of riffs until something sticks. From there I’ll add bass, experiment with drums using an electronic kit and MIDI setup, and start building out the structure of the song. Once the instrumental feels finished, I’ll usually lay down the vocals last. Production is probably one of my favorite parts because that’s where I can really mess around with effects, layers, and textures before everything goes off for the final mix and master.
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could you share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A: “Down” still stands out the most to me. It was the first Further Sky song I released, and really the first song I had written in more than a decade. At the time I was really into experimenting with ambience, reverb, and different effects, which pushed it into more of a shoegaze direction. Once I put it out and started getting positive feedback, it gave me the confidence to keep going and finish what eventually became Between Signals. That song kind of proved to me that I still wanted to make music, so it’ll probably always be a special one for me.
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always fascinating. Could you provide insight into Further Sky’s unique approach to crafting music? From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A: I usually don’t start with a specific genre or even a clear idea of what I want a song to be. Most of the time I’ll find a guitar part or a sound that I like and just build around it until it starts to take on its own personality. I try not to overthink whether something sounds too shoegaze, too heavy, too indie, or whatever else. If it feels right, I keep going with it. The lyrics and overall mood usually come later once I have a better sense of what the song feels like. I think that’s why Further Sky can jump around stylistically a little bit. I’m more interested in following the idea than trying to make every song fit into the same box.
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A: I honestly don’t know exactly what Further Sky looks like a year from now, and I kind of like that. I know I want to keep making music, whether that means more three-song EPs, singles, or eventually a full album. The shorter releases have worked well for me because I can finish something before I start overthinking it, but I’m open to wherever the project goes. I used to feel like I needed to find one specific sound, but now I’m more comfortable just making whatever feels right at the time and letting Further Sky evolve naturally. For anyone who’s listened, shared a song, or followed along this early on, I really appreciate it. The fact that anyone connects with something I made is still pretty wild to me.
